The 63rd edition of the prestigious Duleep Trophy is gearing up for an intense showdown as semi-final action kicks off. Reigning champions, Central Zone, who booked a direct berth into the final four, take on a confident East Zone, which registered a thumping innings-and-210-run win over the North East Zone in the group stage.
Central Zone will be aiming to repeat their triumph of last season as East Zone look to make a mark.
Both teams are set to deliver a thrilling multi-day encounter that promises to keep fans on the edge of their seats.
Here are three key players who could turn the tide in Semi-Final 1 of Duleep Trophy 2026:
1. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (East Zone)
The 15-year-old vice-captain of East Zone remains one of the most anticipated prospects in Indian domestic cricket. The teenager has so far scored 215 runs in nine matches this season, but he has yet to shine with the ball in the group stage. Sooryavanshi sent down left-arm orthodox spin bowling and registered the best figures of his career, claiming 2 wickets for 11 runs in 3 overs. He cleaned up the twelfth and final over, accounting for two batters in four balls to help East Zone dominate North East Zone by a huge margin.
2. Harsh Dubey (Central Zone)
The slow bowling attack of Central Zone will be led by the left-arm googly of Vidarbha's Harsh Dubey. The accurate left-armer has 136 wickets from 28 first-class matches as a bowler and is a match-winner. Dubey took a remarkable 69 wickets for Vidarbha during his team's 2024-25 Ranji win. In three outings, he added 14 more scalps in the following season. The bowler is likely to play a significant role in dismantling East Zone's batting order.
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3. Rajat Patidar (Central Zone)
The Central Zone batting mainstay, top-order batter Rajat Patidar, is the hero of the reigning champions. Patidar has amassed 5,509 runs from 77 matches in first-class cricket. He was also the standout performer of the 2025–26 Duleep Trophy, with 382 runs from five innings, including a scintillating unbeaten 125 (96) and 66 (72) in the quarter-final. Patidar ended Central Zone's decade-long drought in the premier competition last season. He is the first name on every East Zone bowler's scorecard and will be eager to assert his attacking credentials in the Semi-final.